Legislator Reed Cleland

08/21/2026

I am excited to announce my next District Meeting of the year! Join me at the Center for the Arts of Homer on Tuesday, September 15th, at 6:30pm, to talk about the issues of concern to you.

The first section of the meeting will focus on the topic of workforce development in Cortland County, and I am excited that we will be joined by some of our county leaders who work everyday to build pipelines to meaningful employment for our residents! Especially in a tough budget year, it is important that all of us understand the vital impact that many county programs have on our entire community. During the second section of the meeting, we will open it up to questions about any topic or concern that may be on your mind.

My meetings are open to all, regardless of whether you may live in District 10 or not, with no cost to attend! You can RSVP or submit a question in advance on my website at www.legislatorreed.com I look forward to seeing you there!

08/06/2026

I am proud to be a now-alumnus of Leadership Cortland! I highly recommend this program to anyone from any professional background who is seeking to acquire new skill sets and hone their aspirations.

What is Leadership Cortland?

This program is the peek behind the curtain at the cogs making Cortland run.
You will learn about government, health care, manufacturing, and more, all while learning about your own leadership in the process.
There is still time to register before the program begins in October.

Application Deadline: September 4th

www.cortlandareachamber.com/leadership-cortland

08/05/2026

Legislator Jones and I are of very different backgrounds and political affiliations. We may agree only 50% of the time on issues. Yet in my 3 years on the County Legislature, I have no shortage of enjoyment in working with her to advocate in unison for Homer’s best interests. She is someone who is willing to contradict what is popular and easy, even when she may be alone while doing it. That takes courage and principle, which is something you can’t help but greatly admire. Thank you Linda Jones for our friendship and your many years of service to our community.

Meet Your Legislator: Linda Jones

Linda Jones proudly serves as Legislator for Legislative District 9, representing the Town of Homer and Village of Homer. Legislator Jones has served on the Cortland County Legislature since 2014, bringing years of experience, community involvement, and a deep love for Cortland County to her role.

As a County Legislator, Legislator Jones works alongside her fellow legislators to review County operations, consider policy matters, make budget decisions, and support services that impact residents throughout Cortland County.

Legislator Jones currently serves on the Government Operations Committee and the Finance and Administration Committee of the Cortland County Legislature. Throughout her tenure on the Legislature, she has also served on several other statutory committees, gaining broad experience in the many areas of County government.

She also serves as Chair of the Cortland County Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors, a role that reflects her lifelong passion for the outdoors, environmental stewardship, forests, wildlife, and native plants.

Before serving in County government, Legislator Jones owned and operated a local retail business for 37 years. That experience helped shape her approach to public service by reinforcing the importance of listening to people, understanding their needs, solving problems, and providing dependable service.

Legislator Jones has also devoted countless volunteer hours to improving Dwyer Memorial Park, spending the past eight years bringing people together to support projects that benefit families, children, and visitors to the park.

A proud Cortland County resident, Legislator Jones is honored to serve the community she calls home. She believes there is no better place to live and even administers the social media page “Cortland County Living is the Best!”

What is something you love most about living in Cortland County?

Stay tuned as we continue our “Meet Your Legislator” series and introduce the members of the Cortland County Legislature who serve our communities.

08/04/2026

Aaaand we're back! Please see the calendar of legislative and local public meetings for the month of August 2026. Make this the month where you check out a local government meeting for the first time!

08/02/2026

🤓I just finished reading Assemblymember Anna Kelles's excellent white paper on the New York State data center omnibus bill. It offers a thorough tour of A11560, which combines a series of smaller bill ideas into one large package for regulating data centers in New York State:

☑️1-year moratorium on new DEC permits for large data centers (those with a demand of 20 megawatts or more) in New York State
☑️Requiring a DEC environmental impact report on the relationship between data centers and electricity consumption, water usage, air quality, land use, and public health
☑️ Introducing new protections for ratepayers utility service classifications for new large data centers
☑️ Mandating that new large data centers participate in host-community benefits program with the Public Service Commission

This omnibus bill is a strong approach to protecting Central New York (and Cortland County) and our natural resources from predatory hyperscale tech companies and AI cloud providers. I think that Cortland County should go even further and enact a local law banning the construction of all large data centers. We should prioritize protecting our county's natural resources and utility ratepayers from the greed of tech industry billionaires. Good work, Assemblymember Anna Kelles!

Dear Community,

07/30/2026

✅ Legislator Reed's 'Just the Facts' #37:

IDAs are some of the most powerful tools available for county governments to support economic growth and job creation in our local communities. IDAs are public benefit corporations that attract projects via tax incentives, payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs), or debt issuance. They are regulated by NYS Municipal Law and found either at the county or city level.

Every year, the Office of the New York State Comptroller releases a report on IDA activities and impact throughout all of New York State. I just finished reading the report from 2026! Here are 'just the facts' about the impact of the Cortland County BDC / IDA in our community:

✅15 projects, with a total value of $181.8 million
✅$2.3 million in tax exemptions, with $0.4 being PILOTs
✅Estimated 553 jobs to be created, with a net gain of 166 jobs

Cortland County is fortunate to have economic development professionals leading our IDA, working hard every day to stimulate investment and decent-paying job creation right here at home.

07/28/2026

This weekend, I joined with many of Cortland County’s finest empowerment agencies in celebration of the 36th Anniversary of passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability is not always what you see - it’s often what you don’t see. As someone who has lived his life with an autoimmune disorder and medical disability, I am proud to advocate in my legislative work at every opportunity for those with disabilities of all forms. Our community is fortunate to have so many dedicated professionals who work hard every day to knock down the barriers that often impede access. Thank you Access To Independence (ATI) for hosting! And thank you Lime Hollow Nature Center for letting me take your TrackChair for a spin! 😃

07/25/2026

After you finish walking from garage sale to garage sale this weekend, please consider stopping by the Homer Fire Department and supporting them in the final day of their July fundraiser! I am looking forward to stopping by and grabbing some pizza! 🍕

Please come out and support the Homer Fire Department. Thanks!

07/21/2026

Cortland County - and all of Central New York - have experienced some of the biggest explosions in grocery prices over the last 10 years, according to the Urban Institute.

When working people have to take on more credit card debt just to get by on fewer bags of groceries… that is what an unfair food economy looks like. That is why it is important for us to shop and buy local - supporting our local supply chains - wherever and whenever possible.

07/21/2026

☀️ There’s always more to look forward to during summertime in Homer! Do you have these events on your calendar? Our community is fortunate to have dozens of event organizers and volunteers who work hard all year to keep our traditions going strong.

For even more summer fun, check out the events calendar at www.experiencecortland.com/events.